Game
updates, patches, and chapters--these are different names for
essentially the same mechanic, an infusion of new content into an
existing game. Such additions are usually chock full of goodies
designed to entice players to stay invested as well as to advance the
storyline. Most gamers would scoff at a content update that featured a
total of two quest and some bug fixes, but
style="font-style: italic;">EverQuest II players
aren’t most players and
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EverQuest II
isn’t your typical MMOG.
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style="font-style: italic;">Dethknell Citadel Falls
SOE recently updated
style="font-style: italic;">EverQuest II
with GU54 titled “Will of a Tyrant”. More than just
a content update, this patch is also the second in what are being
touted as pre-launch events leading up to the game’s next
expansion – Sentinel’s Fate. On the
surface it appears to be a fairly minor patch, with the addition of
only two quest lines for players to complete, but the real strength of
the update is in the details; it’s a matter of quality over
quantity. Over 800 bugs were fixed with this update. We also see the
city of Freeport partially destroyed. Violence has erupted in the
streets and the city’s patriarch, Lucan D’Lere, is
nowhere to be found.
“Will of a Tyrant” centers on the disappearance of
Lucan, but also features a nefarious plot against the leader of Qeynos,
Antonia Bayle. Players of nearly all levels can take up the cause and
help the leaders of their respective cities try and unravel the
mysterious events taking place all over Norrath. Here is the official
teaser from Sony:
•
Freeport has been rocked by the sudden destruction of
Dethknell Citadel. What was once an ever-present reminder of
The Overlord’s power and will floating above the city has
collapsed, and the tenuous peace held within the city by the watchful
and ruthless Overlord has been obliterated. Something has obviously
befallen Lucan D'Lere, the Overlord of Freeport! Start your
investigation into these mysterious events in West Freeport by speaking
with Sir Tallen Yevix.
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•
The destruction and chaos in Freeport has not gone unnoticed
by the Qeynosians, but they, too, have encountered some clandestine
acts committed against their leaders, the royal house of
Bayle. Help Qeynos recover some stolen texts relating to the
history of Enoxus and the Bayle bloodline by speaking with Royal
Librarian Brinn in Qeynos Harbor.
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style="font-style: italic;">The ever lovely Queen
Antonia Bayle
Both quest lines will send the player across the world in search of
clues to the mystery and ultimately reward those who complete the
quests with level appropriate stacks of cash, status and a fancy new
title for their efforts. Both factions’ quests are
interesting, and definitely worth completing, but the Qeynos side quest
line features a face-to-face with Queen Antonia Bayle herself.
The quests themselves are easily soloable and fairly straightforward,
so a full quest guide isn’t necessary. However, there are a
couple tricky locations you should be aware of. On the Qeynos side, the
second stop along your quest will be a shady merchant named Mariner
Whistlethorn who is located in Qeynos Harbor. This NPC is hidden under
the harbor in a room that is accessible by jumping into the canal and
swimming around towards the harbor. Dive underwater at the bridge and
you’ll see a hole in the wall to your right. Enter there and
you’re in. The coordinate location for Mariner Whistlethorn
is 878.44,-31.80,34.71.
The next NPC of note is known only as Pumpy in the quest text, but is
actually the gruff bartender from North Qeynos that you would likely
recognize as the dwarf P.T. Irontoe who resides in the building just on
the eastern side of the wall that cuts through the zone. See the map
below for a visual on his location.
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style="font-style: italic;">Crow's Resting Place
Entrance
The only other semi-tricky area to find in the quest chain is nestled
in a thieves guild area known as Crow’s Resting Place which
you’ll find inside The Down Below. If you have the EQ2 Maps
utility it appears as a zone arrow and is easily trackable. If not,
then go to coordinate location -144 0,-74 and click on the statue in
the dead end alcove you are facing.
The rest of the steps and quests leading up to the final encounter are
straightforward and continue to award status and some cash.
They are also filled with intrigue, betrayal, murder and a framing of
sorts. The apex of the main quest line closes out with a
battle against a powerful NPC to save none other than Antonia Bayle
herself, with the much needed, if not slow in coming, aide of her royal
guard.
[protip]Once you complete the quest arc, check back with one of your
main informants for a final task that will award you with either a
replica of the Qeynos Claymore or Soulfire, depending on your
alignment.[/protip]
While this quest line and the radical changes may not seem to be much
of an update, the real scope of the patch was the amazing number of bug
fixes and tweaks made to the game itself. Many developers are chided by
the fan base for pumping out new content while ignoring existing
problems--SOE has been criticized for this in the past--but the amount
of work and effort put forth here shows a strong commitment to the game
and, more importantly, to the community of players who keep it viable.
SOE
has done a great job of continuing to lay the foundation for the next
expansion, transitioning the game slowly and giving it an epic feel
that rivals any available in MMO gaming today.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our EverQuest II Game Page.
